696 UNIT Vi @ THE UNITED STATES DAVID HENRY HWANG David Henry Hwang was born in Los Angeles in 1957. He graduated with a B.A. in English from Stanford University in 1979 and studied at the Yale School of Drama 1980-81. In the 1980s, Hwang wrote a series of powerful plays concerning the culeural and political experience of Asian-Americans in the United States. His first play, F0.B, fresh off the boat”), dramatizes the tensions that arise between Chinese immigrants to the United States and their assimilated friends and relatives. The play won an Obie award in 1980. Hwang addressed similar issues in The Dance of the Railread (1981) and in Rich Relations (1986), and he collaborated with composer Philip Glass on 1000 Airplanes on the Roof (1988). Hwang's Tony Award-winning M. Butterfly (1988) is a brilliant critique of Western attitudes toward Asia, epitomized by one of Western culture's most powerful and seductive images of the Orient: Puccini’s opera, Madame Butterfly, His recent plays include ‘Trying to Find Chinatown (1996) and Bondage (1996). M. BUTTERFLY In M. Butterfly, Hwang traces the relationship between the “Orient” of the Western imag- ination and the political realities chae such images help to foster. The play's central char- acter, the diplomat Gallimard, conducts his relationship with China in terms of Puccini's ‘Madame Butterfly. In Puccini’s 1904 opera, based on the 1900 play by David Belasco, the naval officer Pinkerton masries the Japanese geisha giel Butterfly. He leaves for che United States, promising co return, and Butterfly waits for him, meanwhile bearing his child, When Pinkerton returns with his wife from America to collect his child, Butterfly real- ies that he will never return to her. She commits suicide. ‘As Hwang has remarked, Butterfly has become a cultural stereotype of East-West relations—‘speaking of an Asian woman, we would sometimes say, ‘She's pulling a Butterfly” which meant playing the submissive Oriental number.” This sexist and racist stereotype, Hwang argues, pervades not only Western men's fantasies about Asian women—as the mail-order business in Asian wives suggests, Western men see Asian women as obedient, submissive, and sexually self-sacrificing—but also conditions the ¥ political relationship between Asia and che West as wel 'M, Butterfly fases this erotic and political desire for domination in che character of Gallimard, a Freach diplomat who falls in love with Song Liling, an opera singer whom he first sees singing the death aria from Madame Butter. However, the play develops a fascinating twist, for Song is in fact a man, who plays female roles in the Beijing Opera, 4 and who—as a woman—develops a love affair with Gallimard in order to spy for the Chinese government. M. Butterfly compacts a complex teading of the politics of race, gender, and sexuality in a brilliantly theatrical drama.M. BUTTERFLY David Henry Hwang ——cHaracrens —— [RENE GALLIMARD SHU-FANG SONG LILNG HELGA MARC 3M. TOULON MAN 2 MAN 1 (CONSUL SHARPLES JUDGE. RENEE WOMAN AT PARTY ‘The action ofthe play takes lace im a Paris prison inthe presen, PINUP GIRL «and in recall, dering the decade 1960 10 1970 in Beijing, and COMRADE CHIN from 1966 10 the present in Paris. ——act one — “least likely to be invited co a party.” Its a ttle I managed Scene I M. GALLIMARD's prison cll. Paris. Prevent Lights fade np t0 reveal RENE GALLIMARD, 65, in a prison cell. He twuars a comfortable bathrobe, and looks old and tired. The sparsely furnished cll contains a wooden erate upon which tsa bot plate with ‘a kettle, and a portable tape recorder. GALIMARD sits om the orate Staring atthe recorder, sad smile om bis face. Upstage SONG, who appears as beautiful woman in traditional Chinese garb, dances a traditional pisce from the Peking Opera, sur- rnd by the percussive clatter of Chinese mas ‘Then, slowly, lights and sound ers-fade; the Chinese opera msc dis- solos into & Western opera, the “Love Duet” from Puccini's Madame Butterfly. SONG continu dancing, now to the Western acompani- ‘ment, Though ber movements are the xame, tbe difference in masic now gives them a ballet quality GALLIMARD rises, and turns upstage towards the figure of SONG, who dances without acknowledging bim. GALUMARD: Buteerly, Bucterfly (He forces bimuaf to turn atsay, asthe image of SONG fades ont, and talks 104s.) GALLIMARD: The limits of my cell are as such: four-and meters by five. Theres one window against che far wal door, very strong, to protect me from autograph hounds, T’m responsible forthe tape recorder, the hor place, and this charming coffee table. ‘When I want to eat, I'm marched off ro the dining room—hot, steaming slop appears on my place. When I ‘want to sleep, the light bulb turns itself off—the work of fairies. Ics an enchanted space I occupy. The French—we know how to run a prison, But, to be honest, I'm noc created like an ordinary pris- coner. Why? Because I'm a celebrity. You see, I make people laugh, T never dreamed this day would arrive. I've never been considered witty of clever. In fact, s a young boy, in an in- formal poll among my grammar school classmates, I was vored or ‘to hold onto for many years. Despite some stiff competition. But now, how the tables turn! Look at me: the life of 20 ‘every social function in Paris, Paris? Why be modest? My fame has spread to Amsterdam, London, New York. Listen to them! In the world’s smartest parlors. I'm the one who lifes ehei spits! (With a flarich, GaLLAMARD directs our attention to another part of she stage.) Scent I A party, Preset Lights go up on a chic-looking parlor, where a well-dvesed tia, 100 ‘men and one woman, make conversation. GALLIMARD also remains lit; ‘be observes them from his cal woman: And what of Gallimard? MAN I: Gallimard? MAN 2: Gallimard! GALUMARD: (To ws.) You see? They're all determined to say my ame, as if it were some new dance. 5 WOMAN: He still claims not to believe the eruth. MAN 1: What? Sell? Even since the trial? ‘WOMAN: Yes, Isn'e ic mad? MAN 2: (Laughing,) He says ie was dark... .and she was very modest! 10 (The trio break into laughter.) MAN 1; So—what? He never touched her with his hands? MAN 2: Perhaps he did, and simply misidentified che equip- ‘ment. A compelling case for sex education in the schools. WOMAN; To protect the National Security—the Church can’t argue with thae. is MAN I: That's impossible! How could he not know? MAN 2: Simple ignorance. MAN 1: For twenty years? MAN 2: Time flies when you're being stupid. WOMAN: Well, I thought the French were ladies’ men. 20 ‘MAN 2; Ie seems Monsieur Gallimard was overly anxious to live up to his national repuracion, WOMAN: Well, he's not very good-looking.20 2 30 35 698 UNIT VI. @ THE UNITED sTaTES MAN 1: No, he's not MAN 2: Certainly not, ‘WOMAN: Actually, [feel sorty for him. MAN 2: A coast! To Monsieur Gallimard! ‘WOMAN: Yes! To Gallimard! MAN L: To Gallimas MAN 2: Vive la difference! (They toast, laughing, Lights down on them.) Scent II M. GALLIMARD' cll, ‘GAaLLimanp: (Smiing,) You see? They toast me. I've become pa- tron saine of che socially inepr. Can they really be s0 fool- ish? Men like that—they should be scratching at my door, begging co learn my secrets! For I, Rene Gallimard, you see, Thave known, and been loved by |. che Perfece Woman, ‘Alone in this cell, I sie night after nigh, watching our story play through my head, always searching for a new end- ing, one which redeems my honor, where she recurns at last to ‘my arms. And I imagine you—my ideal audience—who come to understand and even, petheps just a lice, o.eavy me (He turns om bis tape recorder. Over the houte speakers, we buar the pening phrases of Madarne Bucterfy,) CGaLLimanD: In order for you to understand what I did and why, 1 must introduce you to my favorite opera: Madame Butterfly By Giacomo Puccini First produced at La Scala, Milan, in 1904, it is now beloved chroughoue the Western world (As GALLIMARD describes the opera, the tape segues in and out 10 se- ions be may be describing.) GALLIMARD: And why nor? Its heroine, Cio-Cio-San, also known. as Buccerfy, isa feminine ideal, beautiful and brave. And its hero, che man for whom she gives up everything, is—(He pulls cat a naval ofcer’s cap from under bis erate, pps it om is, ‘bead, and struts abowt.)—not very good-looking, not coo bright, and pretey much a wimp: Benjamin’ Pranklin Pinkerton of the U.S. Navy. As the curtain rises, he's just